Lawmakers get glimpse at governor's budget planLITTLE ROCK (AP) — Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Tuesday his budget is relying on revenue growth, surplus funds and cuts to state agencies to pay for his campaign promise to cut taxes for the middle class by $102 million a year. The Republican governor began briefing lawmakers on highlights of his budget, but delayed until next week his plan to unveil the proposal. He said he wants to address the future of the state's compromise Medicaid e...

Scholarship winners could defer for 2 years under billLITTLE ROCK (AP) — College students would be able to defer their state scholarships for up to two years for community service or family emergency under a bill passed by the Arkansas House. The bill approved Tuesday allows the Arkansas Department of Higher Education to approve holds on Governor's Scholars and Governor's Distinguished Scholarships. The department can hold a student's scholarship for military service, family or medical emergency ...

Hutchinson calls King a leader who inspired tough choicesBENTON (AP) — Calling Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. a person who "caused people to make a choice," Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Monday that the best leaders make tough decisions. "Great leaders inspire people to act, to make a choice," Hutchinson said. "The greatest leaders that we have are not always the most popular leaders." Hutchinson faces several key moments in his second week as Arkansas governor. He will give a speech on healthcare T...

Griffin pushing to give up some power as state's No. 2LITTLE ROCK (AP) — Arkansas Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin says he wants to use the state's No. 2 post to promote the agenda of fellow Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson, and is urging lawmakers to scale back some of his office's powers. Sworn in last week, Griffin said he's working with lawmakers on a proposed constitutional amendment to put before voters next year that would allow the governor to remain in charge when he's out of the state. He calls the c...

Municipal League wraps up 2015 winter conferenceLITTLE ROCK (AP) — The Arkansas Municipal League has wrapped up its 2015 winter conference. More than 1,200 participants, including many newly elected municipal officials from across the state, attended the event in Little Rock that concluded Friday. Highlights include the first appearance before the municipal group by newly inaugurated Gov. Asa Hutchinson. Hutchinson asked municipal leaders to support legislation he will propose to create a b...

Power shift to change commissionThe Pope County Election Commission is composed of three commissioners — two from the majority party and one from the minority party — elected to represent their party. Because of the shift in power during November's general election, the commission will switch from having one Republican representative to two and from two Democratic representatives to one. Chad Easley, then-interim chair of the Pope County Democratic Committee (PCDC), said he ...

Overbey to chair committeeLITTLE ROCK — Representative Betty Overbey of Lamar was appointed to chair the Arkansas House of Representatives Committee for City, County and Local Affairs, Speaker of the House Jeremy Gillam announced earlier this week. The committee reviews all matters regarding city and municipal affairs, county affairs, local improvement districts and inter-local government. “I'm honored to be asked to chair a committee where so many decisions are made t...

Bill would restrict drones on private landLITTLE ROCK (AP) — Using a drone to fly above private property and take pictures without permission would be a crime under a bill filed in the Arkansas Legislature. Republican Rep. Justin Harris' proposal filed Thursday would make it a misdemeanor for a drone operator to have or distribute an unauthorized image. His bill exempts law enforcement and photos taken on public property. Various states and the Federal Aviation Administration have tri...

Proposed bill would require public colleges to allow concealed gunsLITTLE ROCK (AP) — A lawmaker is proposing a requirement that Arkansas' public colleges and universities allow faculty and staff to carry concealed handguns on campus. Republican Rep. Charlie Collins of Fayetteville filed legislation Thursday to repeal a portion of state law that leaves the decision whether to allow concealed handguns on campus up to colleges and universities. Collins' proposal would remove the opt-out provision for public col...

Hutchinson says he'll unveil budget plan next weekLITTLE ROCK (AP) — Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson will present his balanced budget proposal to lawmakers next week, he said Thursday as legislative leaders prepared to move quickly on the Republican's tax cut plan. Hutchinson said the budget proposal would outline how he planned to pay for reducing income taxes by 1 percent for those making between $21,000 and $75,000 a year. Hutchinson, who was sworn in on Tuesday, is touting the cut as a way t...

Bill to require doctors to give abortion pill in personLITTLE ROCK (AP) — Women in Arkansas seeking abortion-inducing medication would have to take it in the presence of a doctor and come back for a follow-up days later under a bill filed Thursday in the Arkansas Legislature. Supporters of the bill say they want to prevent any instances of abortion medication being administered through telemedicine, even though both sponsors noted that she wasn't aware of any Arkansas providers offering the proced...

Governor taps new director of information systems departmentLITTLE ROCK (AP) — Gov. Asa Hutchinson has named Mark Myers the new director of the Arkansas Department of Information Systems. Hutchinson, who was inaugurated this week, announced the appointment Thursday. Myers is currently the director of strategic Initiatives at the Secretary of State — a position he's held since 2011. Myers graduated fourth in his class from the U.S. Army Signal School in 2003 after being commissioned as a second lieutena...

Panel reviewing salaries sets benchmark statesLITTLE ROCK (AP) — The Arkansas panel reviewing whether to give raises to elected officials chose five states — Iowa, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma and Tennessee — as a benchmark for its own closely watched recommendations. Those states all pay their legislators more than Arkansas, where elected members of the House and Senate collect $15,869 a year. The governors and attorneys general of those states also make more than in Arkansas. Members o...

Hutchinson orders hiring freeze, regulation reviewLITTLE ROCK (AP) — A day after being sworn in as Arkansas' 46th governor, Republican Asa Hutchinson on Wednesday imposed a hiring freeze on most state agencies and ordered that any new regulations or rules be approved by his office. Hutchinson, who took office Tuesday, issued both as executive orders on his first full day as the state's top elected official. The ex-congressman and former federal Homeland Security administrator had said leading...

Berry, Standridge face runoffEditor's note: The vote totals in this article are according to final, unofficial results reported on the Secretary of State's website. Visit www.sos.arkansas.gov to view all results by county. Stan Berry will face Gregory B. Standridge in a runoff election Feb. 10 for the District 16 State Senate seat after the two emerged with most votes — but neither with more than 50 percent — during Tuesday's primary election. Standridge received nearly 4...

Huckabee attends Hutchinson swearing-in as Arkansas governorLITTLE ROCK (AP) — Former Gov. Mike Huckabee, one of three former governors in attendance at Asa Hutchinson's swearing-in Tuesday, said the state's new chief executive hit "the right tone and the right notes" in his first remarks. As the buzz grows that Huckabee will run for president a second time, he received the loudest ovation of any of the former officials introduced to the crowd outside the state Capitol. Huckabee predicted Hutchinson wo...

Republican Asa Hutchinson sworn in as Arkansas governor LITTLE ROCK (AP) — Republican Asa Hutchinson was sworn in as the 46th governor of Arkansas on Tuesday, finalizing the GOP's takeover of a Southern state once considered a Democratic holdout, but facing a potentially divisive debate over Medicaid expansion. Speaking to a joint session of the state House and Senate, Hutchinson called his campaign promise to cut middle-class income taxes by $100 million a year his top priority and said the propos...

Election Day underwayElection Day for the District 16 State Senate race is underway and polls will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. at six locations throughout Pope County. Republicans Gregory B. Standridge, Thomas Akin and Stan Berry are vying for the seat, which was vacated by Michael Lamoureux when he was hired by Gov. Asa Hutchinson as chief of staff. District 16 encompasses all of Pope and Newton counties as well as parts of Boone, Carroll and Van Buren co...

1,300 vote early in Senate racePope County had more early voters for the District 16 Senate race than the other four counties in the voting region combined. District 16 encompasses all of Pope and Newton counties as well as parts of Boone, Carroll and Van Buren counties. The Pope County Election Commission reported 1,214 people voted during the first week of early voting. As of Friday afternoon, 112 people had voted early in the other four eligible counties. The higher turn...

Panel advises Arkansas to look at retiree health care plansLITTLE ROCK (AP) — An advisory panel is recommending that the state of Arkansas explore offering Medicare managed care plans to retired state and public school employees who are covered by the federal program for the elderly and disabled. About 18,000 retired state and school employees are enrolled in state plans that supplement traditional Medicare coverage. Under the recommendation by the State and Public School Life and Health Insurance Boa...